How To Get Away with Murder Review: I Love Her (Season 4 Episode 5)

On How to Get Away with Murder Season 4 Episode 6, “I Love Her,” Michaela and Oliver collect big intel to take down Laurel’s father, Bonnie reconnects with her feelings for Annalise, and after a huge victory, Annalise gets knocked 3 steps back on her class action lawsuit against the Justice Department.

Michaela leans on her bonds of loyalty and friendship to Wes and Laurel by potentially sabotaging her new job at Caplan & Gold. Coincidentally, the day Michaela and Oliver break into Tegan’s computer for certain files, Tegan gifts her with Louboutins and a promise that if Michaela continues her hard work, then she will get an offer from the from.

Michaela’s persistence in the face of all Tegan’s wonderful mentorship is admirable. However, I’m sort of with Oliver:

Michaela: Are you choosing a toilet seat over Wes, Laurel, and the baby?

Oliver: No, I’m choosing a heated toilet seat.

Honestly, if Frank doesn’t finally set the boundary with Laurel and act as the moral compass of their relationship (who would’ve ever though Frank could be the moral compass of anything), then sooner or later Laurel might have chosen the heated seat as well.

Her relationship with Frank is similar to her relationship to Michaela this season. If Michaela doesn’t set boundaries, Laurel will have Michaela risk everything.

Right now, Laurel’s life is in shambles and she has no problem bringing everyone down with her: her sexual relationship with Frank, after she rapes him, her yelling at Michaela to go back in Tegan’s computer even if it means Tegan’s job and Michaela’s future, etc.

She frustrates me to no end. At least now I know why she’s making these horrible decisions and constantly attacks Annalise. She feels guilty for cheating on Wes and lying about it before he died.

However, this knowledge does not give me any compassion for her. Dissimilar to Connor’s revelations in this episode and How to Get Away with Murder Season 4 Episode 4, she made those choices in season 2 and instead of dealing with them, she projects her behavior on other people and relentlessly attacks them.

It’s as if she wont stop until everyone around her is just as miserable. With every episode, I dislike Laurel’s character more and more. I truly need the writer’s to either force her character to do some growing or write about her character less.

It’s crazy how she and Oliver were both at their lowest due to guilt in season 3, but Connor actually shows growth with each passing episode. Connor’s moment with Annalise at her new apartment is so heart-warming. Instead of making decisions with a suicidal intent, he goes to Annalise and tells her about it.

Connor: I just told you I want to die. How is that strong?

Annalise: Because you came here instead.

This moment is powerful. And like the Mama Bear she is, Annalise gives Connor a reason to live and something to do to get his mind off of the pain they’ve caused in the past. She gives him the same hope through helping others that she realizes she needs for herself.

The parallelism of this scene is amazing, especially when you take into consideration how it works to contrast Annalise in Bonnie’s flashback. When Bonnie has no purpose, Annalise gives her one. Similarly, when Connor has no purpose, and Annalise gives one to him.

Moreover, the flashback shows a key distinction between who Annalise was then and who she is now. After Annalise grills Bonnie and quits her job, she gets drunk. However, on this episode, after Annalise gets her clients in a shady way and Bonnie ruins her progress, she gets right back on her job and simply tries to find new ways to get more clients.

This case is working wonders on Annalise’s alcohol addiction.Maybe Annalise hasn’t fully come to terms with her part in Wes’s death, but this is definitely a progressive step in her recovery.

So I’m a bit confused why the Issac is so against this form of rehabilitation. I’m also confused as to why he looks so betrayed when he realizes that Bonnie has been talking about Annalise. I’m sure it has a lot to do with why he calls Annalise his trigger — I just hope we get more information on that front as to why she is his trigger.

It would be wonderful if we get it in a huge coming to Jesus scene after one full episode of back-to-back mental chess between Annalise and Isaac.

As I explained in my review of How to Get Away with Murder Season 4 Episode 3, Isaac and Annalise’s scenes together are gold, and a wonderful way to play to their chemistry is placing a huge narrative device in one of their interactions.

How to Get Away with Murder Season 4 is shaping up to be a wonderful story. The chips are falling into place slowly but they seem to be setting a platform for an incredible reveal.

I mean, can we take a moment to talk about that ending? Does Asher really kill someone thinking that Michaela is having an affair? We get a little taste of his temper In How To Get Away With Murder Season 4 Episode 2 when David hit a sensitive spot for him with his family.

So maybe something similar happens that makes Asher shoot the gun or kill someone. Or maybe he’s being framed like Annalise and the Keating 4 are in every season. What do you guys think?

Stray Observations:

• Annalise’s happy dance makes me so happy. I didn’t realize how long it’s been since we have seen her be so joyful.
• Michaela walking in those Louboutins is the epitome of black girl glow. Yaaas, honey.
• I absolutely love Tegan with every episode. She is like perfection.
• Bonnie’s breakdown in her session with Issac is heartbreaking. Liza Weil really sells the pain in that scene.
• I’m honestly here for Nate finally being on Annalise’s side again. Is it too late for them to make amends for all the mistakes they made in their relationship? Has that ship sailed?

What did you think of this episode of How to Get Away with Murder? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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How to Get Away with Murder airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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